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La Scala (Teatro alla Scala) in Milan is the world’s most important opera house. Some of the finest singers in the world have performed there, and some of the most famous operas have premiered there.
History
Previously, the Royal Ducal Theatre (Teatro Regio Ducale), was located in a wing of the Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale). It burned down on February 25, 1776. 90 wealthy Milanese who owned boxes in that theatre wrote to Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este asking for a new theatre. That plan was rejected, but Empress Maria Theresa approved a second plan later that same year.
Santa Maria alla Scala, a Gothic church built in 1381, was deconsecrated and demolished to make way for the new theatre. The New Royal Ducal Theatre of La Scala (Nuovo Regio Ducale Teatro alla Scala) opened on August 3, 1778, with a performance of Europa riconosciuta. The theatre originally had a capacity of about 3,000, but renovations in 1907 and 2004 reduced that to 1,987 seats.
Tours of La Scala
Guided tours of La Scala are available daily depending on the schedule of the theatre. Tours in English run 4 times a day and cost €30 per person (as of June 2024). They last 60 minutes and include admission to the museum. Unfortunately, there were no tours available on the day we visited because of a rehearsal.
Museum
We were only able to visit the La Scala Theatrical Museum (Museo Teatrale alla Scala), which costs €12 on a timed ticket or €15 on an open ticket (as of June 2024). The museum is open daily from 9:30am to 5:30pm.
To be honest, the museum wasn’t very interesting for us. It contained a nice collection of posters, paintings, artifacts, and costumes, but you have to be a true opera enthusiast to enjoy it.
The real reason we bought tickets to the museum was to get a peek at the theatre. Included in the museum admission is a chance to see the theatre from a third level box. Photos were not allowed because they were preparing the stage and we had to be completely silent. I was only able to take a photo of the halls outside the boxes.
Piazza della Scala
La Scala sits on Piazza della Scala, which has a monument to Leonardo da Vinci in the center. It was created by Pietro Magni in 1872.
Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery
Besides La Scala, three other important buildings face the piazza. To the south is the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II), which provides access to Piazza del Duomo.
Palazzo Marino
To the east is Palazzo Marino, which was built between 1557 and 1563 for Genoan trader and banker Tommaso Marino. The building became property of the state in 1781 and has been Milan’s city hall since September 9, 1861. Free guided tours are available on select days (as of June 2024). Tours must be reserved ahead of time via email.
Italian Commerical Bank Palace
To the north is the Italian Commerical Bank Palace (Palazzo della Banca Commerciale Italiana). It was built in the early 20th century for the Italian Commercial Bank (Banca Commerciale Italiana / BCI), which merged with Intesa Bank (Banca Intesa) in 1999. The building is still a bank headquarters but also hosts the Galleries of Italy (Gallerie d’Italia). Admission to this art gallery is €10 (as of June 2024) and it’s open daily except Mondays.
